Akane Mu: Disowned
by obsidians
Summary: Akane is disowned due to a misunderstanding and starts to get a clearer picture of those around her while growing as a person. Lemon free. Not a Mousse/Akane pairing, just friendship.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Ranma ½ or its characters; Rumiko Takahashi does and I make no money from writing this story.

A/N This is not a Akane/Mousse pairing, they merely develop a close friendship. They don't marry either, she takes his last name because she's forbidden to use her own and she's under the protection of his family.

Btw, I can't write drug trips very well. I'm one of these people who react badly to any sort, so it's been years since I even experimented.

******

Akane Tendo was in China town to watch the Chinese New Years Parade. It was something that she did every year, between the costuming and the large, bright articulating dragons, it was exciting for a young teenaged girl. She joined the happy crowd that gyrated with excitement as covert cups of sake were consumed. Akane cheered along with the rest and was hugged by someone in a Chinese lucky cat suit. She laughed as she was licked by a fake, rubber tongue and took many pictures. She had asked Ranma to come with her, but this wasn't his sort of thing and her friends were too busy to go, so she opted to attend alone. She had finished watching the parade and decided to by the stall of the Nekohanten and get some ramen before she left and say hi to the Amazons. It was packed, but she managed to place her order with Shampoo and then she noticed that Mousse was sitting at a table by himself. He stared ahead glassy-eyed and seemed to be swaying in a strange way. She sat down beside him and said "hi Mousse did you like the parade?" He didn't answer; he just swayed and hugged himself.

Akane looked questioningly at Shampoo when she brought her order "what's wrong with him?" she asked. Shampoo gave him a grim look "him stupid, I warn him not accept free drinks from people, sometimes they laced with drugs like liquid acid. He have one anyway and now he on drugs, Mousse never good with drugs" she said.

"I didn't know that Mousse even took drugs" she said.

"He don't, I used to practice with mushrooms on him by place in food, see no harm, he can't fall in love with me when in already love" she said. "Found out hard way that all drugs make him anxious and terrified, all drugs. Last time he on drugs, someone accidently blow weed at him and he think he in duck form for hours. It weird, he waddle like duck and try to eat like duck" she explained.

"What did you do?" Akane asked.

"I doused him with cold water and turned him into duck until wear off" she replied as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

"Is he okay?" Akane asked in concern.

"No, he probably surrounded by monsters" she said. "I want to take him home where at least he be somewhere familiar, but can't. We have to leave after parade on tribal business and not be back for few days, so I no know what to do with Mousse" Shampoo said frowning at him. An idea an occurred to her "Neko Hanten is on Akane's way home. Could you drop him off?" she asked.

Akane looked dubious at the idea "are you sure its okay to leave him alone like this?" she asked. "Is there anyone I could call to come stay with him?"

"He have no friends. He should be okay, is not sort to hurt himself" she assured her. She reached into god knows where in his robe and fished out a keychain with a small rubber duck attached to it. "Please Akane, it would really help great-grandmother and I"

Akane got that sucked in feeling and took the keys from her. She took Mousse's hand and said, "come on Mousse" he gave her a scared look but allowed her to lead him, he was docile as a lamb. Noticing the terrified looks that he was casting about and how he was shivering, Akane looped an arm around his waist and pulled him along with her. This got some wolf whistles from drunken revelers and caused her to blush.

She was happy when she got to the Neko Hanten and let Mousse in, she was curious about the place, but getting Mousse comfortable allowed little time for snooping. She sat him on the couch and loosened his collar and belt to make him more comfortable, then blushingly raised the hem of his robe to make sure that the drawstring on his pants wasn't too tight (it wasn't). The entire time he didn't do more but tremble and emit the occasional shuddering gasp. "Mousse, can you hear me? It's Akane" she said. He just stared at her with wide, terrified green eyes. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked him again, clearly he wasn't. Akane was torn between the need to go home and to stay with him. She sat down and pulled him into her arms "come here big fella" she said.

Mousse was practically in another dimension, where there only sheer terror existed. He could hear people trying to reach him, but couldn't respond to them. Then he felt arms around him and felt a brief respite of pleasure and comfort, he put him own arms around them and clung to them like they were a life line.

It was a long ten hours for Akane; she held him and stroked his hair and back. He was like a kid afraid of the dark that needed someone near him. She spoke to him soothingly, got him to drink water, turned on the TV to help him focus and even sang to him. She was afraid to leave him alone for even a minute to call home and vowed that she would explain when she got there. At last he seemed to come down and drifted off in her arms, with her stretched out beside him. Glad he was okay, Akane decided to leave, only to fall asleep. He turned in his sleep and spooned up to the prone figure beside him, he had returned to a child-like stage where he and Shampoo used to curl up for naps together.

Akane felt cold and also thought that she was lying beside a loved one, as she used to do with her sisters. She reached behind her and pulled the side of Mousse's voluminous robe over her, it has worked itself open while he slept. Mousse put his arm back around her and she felt blissfully warm cuddled up against his bare chest.

They stayed that way all night long, until Akane's father wrenched the door open in his haste to talk to the Amazons about his missing daughter. One of their neighbour's had seen Akane walk Mousse home and told him about it. He froze at the sight of the cozy scene and screamed "Akane what's the meaning of this?" startling both people awake. Akane wondered where she was, until she looked behind her and realized that she was still with Mousse. She blushed when she realized that she was sharing his shirt with him and hastily sat up. Then blushed even further when she realized that her mid thigh length denim skirt had rode up in her sleep, she hastily pushed it down.

Soun started crying to see his daughter debased like this; rumpled, disheveled and lying with a boy who she had obviously slept with and in front of Genma too! "Daddy, it isn't what you think" she cried, when she realized what was going through his mind and patting her disheveled hair.

Mousse did up his robe and said "Mr. Tendo its okay, she must have fallen asleep while taking care of me" he explained.

Soun took one look at his too pale face, heavily bloodshot eyes and said "and what were you recovering from that my daughter felt it necessary to stay out all night long to take care of you, drugs? Did you two take drugs and have sex?" he demanded.

"I always thought Akane to be a little to wild for my Ranma" Genma said in disapproval. "If she was my daughter, I would disown her"

"Daddy you surely can't believe that I did that!" Akane cried.

"Mr. Tendo, someone slipped something into my drink. Akane neither did drugs nor had sex with me, this has all been a huge mistake" Mousse assured him, trying finger comb his own messy hair.

"You can't fool me. You defiled my daughter, no decent Japanese boy will marry her now!" he cried, his temper had practically reached the boiling point at the idea of Mousse touching his little girl.

"Daddy let's go home and I'll explain everything" Akane said, sensing this.

"No you no longer have a home; you're disowned and forfeit the right to use the last name of Tendo. You're no longer my daughter" Soun screamed.

"Nor are you the fiancée of my son, Ranma Saotome" Genma intoned.

"Daddy!" Akane cried in anguish. "It's not true, we never slept together!"

"I'm sorry I want to believe you, but I can't. The evidence is too damning. Kasumi will pack your bag and leave it on the doorstep. Send Mousse to pick it up, inside will be the account book for money that your mother left you. This will help you for now. Don't seek to contact anyone in our family or to come home. You're dead to us all" he said and turned his back and left.

Akane started crying and begging him "daddy you can't do this to me, nothing happened!" she sobbed and ran down the street screaming this after him and begging to come home, until she collapsed in a sobbing heap. Mousse picked her up and carried the exhausted girl back to the Neko Hanten.


	2. Chapter 2

Mousse laid Akane on his futon and sat down beside her, simply because there was no where else to sit in the small room. She turned away so that he couldn't see her. "Akane, I would never even think to ask you this question under normal circumstances, but I'm afraid that all modesty must be cast aside for the moment. Are you a virgin?" he asked.

She sat up in outrage and almost slapped him "what kind of question is that?" she demanded, her face flaming at having a male ask so personal a question.

"A very important one when it comes to straightening this mess out. If you are indeed a virgin, a simple doctor's examination will clear up this matter, then your father should allow you to come home" he pointed out.

Akane's hopes surged, of course, it was so simple! "Yes, I am" she replied. "I can go to Dr. Tofu and get him to examine me; he can write daddy a note swearing that my hymen is intact. Daddy would have to believe me then" she cried.

"We'll go right after we straighten up" he said and handed her his hairbrush. She automatically started brushing her hair, her face had lost its hopeless expression and she looked more like herself. Mousse found himself examining her; in her sleeveless blouse with its Peter Pan collar and modest denim skirt, he found it hard to believe that her own father thought that she was sexually active. Her face was more that of a child's then a woman's, she normally dressed neatly but modestly and she embarrassed easily. She reminded him of his youngest sister. Not year's wise, but maturity level. She had an innocence about her that had been untouched by life; she had been protected by her father and older sisters and now Ranma. Everything about her appeared virginal, boarder lining on girlish.

Then again Mousse had to consider that his own upbringing had been different. It wasn't unusual for children as young as twelve to sexually experiment together, to get married at fifteen and to have children at sixteen. As an Amazon male, it was his job to pleasure the superior females on demand. Disownment was a foreign concept to him, being sent into exile simply meant that you couldn't live in the village and had to build your hut elsewhere.

He walked her to Dr. Tofu's clinic and then went to pick up her suitcase, in hopes that he would be returning them both soon. Soun Tendo met him at the door, all he had to say was "if you were a proper Japanese boy, you could have married her and spared her this dishonour and ours"

"But because I'm not Japanese, I would still humiliate her if I married her?" Mousse asked. "That's a tad racist don't you think? We're both considered to be Asian"

"Yes but you're the wrong sort" he said with narrowed eyes.

"Then I guess you don't want to know that I'm half Caucasian as well as being Chinese trash?" he challenged, Soun just shut the door in his face.

At the clinic, Akane's cheeks glowed as the handsome Dr. Tofu examined her in a place no one ever had before. She was embarrassed, but felt elated at the same time that this would provide proof that she remained untouched. She got redressed, sat down and waited for Dr. Tofu to return, her heart was hammering in her chest. He sat down at his desk and played with his glasses for a few seconds. "I have some good news and some bad news. Which would you rather hear first?" he asked grimly.

"Bad" Akane said feeling the grip of panic.

"You don't have a hymen; it's most likely because of your love of sports and martial arts. The good news is that I could see no sign of recent sexual activity and can write a note to that effect" he said.

"So there's no proof that I'm actually a virgin?" she said with her heart plummeting.

"It's fairly common not to have a hymen. A quarter of females are born with little or no hymen and it can tear due to strenuous sports, erosion by use of tampons or penetrative masturbation" Dr. Tofu explained. "Surely your father must understand that?"

"Daddy's very old fashioned, he wouldn't believe it without seeing proof" Akane said sadly. She knew that her hopes of going home were slipping away and she had nowhere to go.

"He's not a monster, he'll calm down in a few days" Dr. Tofu said soothingly, positive that Soun would see the light and come begging for his youngest daughter to come home. "In the meantime do you have somewhere to stay?" he asked out of concern.

"I-I don't know" Akane said, feeling like she was going to cry as she was escorted into the waiting room. She felt grateful that Mousse was waiting for her with a suitcase she recognized as being her own. "How did it go?" he asked, expecting her to give him good news. He was ready to walk her home, he felt responsible for her as it was his fault that she had been disowned.

"I don't have a hymen" she said numbly, she was past the point of embarrassment. She noticed that Mousse looked grim but unsurprised at the news.

He led her back to the Neko Hanten "You can stay in my room while I sleep on the couch until Shampoo and Cologne get back. They're the ones who decide if you can stay or not. But I'm sure that you'll be home by then" he said to bring her hopes up.

Akane felt numbness setting in; she was in shock and felt like she was in a bad dream. Just yesterday she had a loving family, a handsome fiancée and was one of the most popular girls in school. Now all she had was a former enemy of her fiancé, ex-fiancé. Her world had collapsed like a house of cards. Now she didn't have a home or even a last name, Akane X was all she was. She knew that the gossip had probably already started. Akane disowned because she was caught in bed with a guy after a wild night of having sex. The good girl had gone bad. There were so many girls who were jealous of her, who would love to smear her reputation all over town. Akane had no one.

Mousse took her into the kitchen and made her some tea, while the silent Akane wondered what to do. She couldn't continue to stay in an apartment alone with a male; it could tarnish her reputation even further. Besides, there was no way that Shampoo and Cologne would let her stay even if she wanted to.

Mouse was concerned about Akane. He had already suspected that her hymen might not be present. In his village, it was rare for a girl to be intact after years of rigorous training. Shampoo hadn't had one; it was how tight she was that had twigged him to her virginal state. Shaking these thoughts from his head, he focused on his silent, petit companion, she held her cup in one tiny hand while her other cupped her chin. He placed a phone in front of her. She looked at him questioningly.

"You probably have phone calls to make" he said, picked up his tea and went into the living room to give her some privacy.

With trembling hands she dialed home "Tendo residence" Kasumi's voice said when she answered.

"Kasumi, please don't hang up. I need to speak with you" Akane begged.

Akane could hear Kasumi suppress a sob and then softly said "I'm sorry, I have to hang up. Those are father's orders, bye Akane" she said and softly set the phone down.

Akane burst into tears and dialed again, only the answering machine pick up this time. She picked up the phone to call Yuka, but then set it down; she didn't want to give even her best friend prior knowledge of her shame. She went into Mousse's room and opened her suitcase. She took out everything that her sister had lovingly packed and set them on the futon. Two school uniforms, three blouses, four t-shirts, three sweaters, two pairs of pants, two skirts, her jogging uniform, ten pairs of panties, ten pairs of socks, two bras, two pairs of pajamas, her tooth brush and her old cherished teddy bear: were all that she owned in the world. Not much for sixteen years. She looked to see if Kasumi had included a note, but there was nothing. Mousse came in to find her putting things back into her suitcase. He handed her what looked like a dried mushroom "you should try and get some sleep, you had a shock and need to relax" he explained.

Akane went to take it, but then hesitated. "It's not going to make me fall in love with the first person I see or something?" she asked, wary of Amazon mushrooms from experience.

Mousse smiled "that's just a myth. Don't you think that if those existed I would have slipped one to Shampoo a long time ago? No, all those mushrooms do is trigger hormones and produce a state of, well, lust" he explained. "This one only makes you sleep for a few hours and you'll wake feeling refreshed."

Trusting the boy, she took the mushroom and was soon asleep. Mousse softly closed the door behind him and wondered what to do about her. There was one way to allow her to stay, but should he invoke it?

Akane hardly wanted to leave the place for fear that people would see her and start yelling "slut" so she hid out in the apartment for the next few days lying listlessly on Mousse's futon. She would only leave when Mousse dressed her up in some of Shampoo's outgrown clothes and dark glasses. Two Chinese people walking together didn't attract very much attention.

Shampoo and Cologne hadn't been happy to learn that the Shampoo's greatest rival had been living in their apartment. They called a tribal meeting right away. Akane gulped as she was led before the stone faced women, for once seeing a resemblance between the elder and the younger.

"Why is it that you have been allowing our enemy to stay in our home?" Cologne demanded of Mousse in Mandarin.

"She was disowned because she did me a favour when no one else would, I have a responsibility towards her" he replied and then turned to Akane and said in Japanese "I have to speak Mandarin for now" she nodded.

"She can't stay here!" Shampoo said.

"She has nowhere else to go" Mousse cried. "Would you have her live in the streets, look at her? How long do you think that she would last?" he demanded. Both females turned to look her and realized for the first time how impossibly young and vulnerable Akane looked. "Besides, I thought you were good at helping young girls in trouble?" he snapped and looked at Shampoo, she turned pale.

"Don't go there" Cologne said in a warning tone of voice.

"Let her go to a friend's house" Shampoo snarled.

"Where? Once people find out the reason why her own father disowned her, she won't be welcomed anywhere" Mousse said.

"This isn't even your apartment" Cologne pointed.

"No, but it's where I live, therefore I invoke the right to offer her the protection of the Mu family" Mousse declared.

That made Cologne take notice, it was his right to offer this to anyone he felt needed help. "She's not our responsibility, only yours" Cologne said cautiously. "If we allow her to stay, you will be held responsible for her actions and she has to sleep in your room"

"Done" Mousse said.

Cologne turned to Akane and said in Japanese "Akane, you are allowed to live here, but you have to agree to certain things. You are to help out in the restaurant when not in school; you'll be compensated for your time. Our names are actually Ku Lon, Xian Pu and Mu Tzu, you will learn to address us by these" Akane nodded to this. "You are to stay away from Ranma; he's not longer your fiancé, so there is no need for you to see him" Akane flinched at this rule, and then nodded. "Good, you are to stay in Mousse's room with him"

"What?" Akane said in a startled voice.

"He had offered you the protection of his family name, which would normally mean that you live with them in their hut. As he doesn't have one, you must share his room" Cologne couldn't help chuckling at how pale the girl turned at this suggestion. "I don't mean that you have to sleep in the same futon together, I'm sure you can find a way to divide the room to preserve your modesty" she assured her.

"So if I have the protection of his family, am I engaged to him or something?" Akane asked. All three women cracked up at the expression on Mousse's face at THAT suggestion, even Akane.

Cologne was still chuckling when she said "no, you just live with them and sometimes people take their last name to show respect to their benefactors."

Akane looked at Mousse "your last name is Mu?" he nodded. "It's as good a surname as any" she observed.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry couldn't put too much thought into this chapter; there was a family crisis over the weekend that has me a little rattled :(

Sid

******

Ranma

"What do you mean that Akane was disowned?" Ranma demanded.

Genma turned his eyes on his son "I saw her myself, she was fast asleep with a man and they were half naked. It looked like they had taken drugs and had sex"

"Akane?" Ranma said dubiously. "Which guy?" he demanded.

"That Chinese guy, Mousse" Genma replied.

Ranma couldn't resist a laugh at this "Mousse? I don't think that he even realizes that there are other girls in the world besides Shampoo. There's no way, Akane doesn't take drugs and I doubt that she's ever slept with anyone" Ranma said.

"You doubt what I saw? He still has a penis and that obviously isn't being used by Shampoo. Besides, Akane's popular with the boys, I can see why now" Genma said cruelly. Soun joined them.

"Ranma your new fiancée's Kasumi" he announced.

The other girl went pale and said "oh my"

"What if we don't wish to marry?" Ranma demanded.

"You'll do what is good for the school boy, or you can be disowned too. Besides, Kasumi's beautiful and a good cook, you can't go wrong with her" Genma said.

Ranma glared at his father "I don't wish to marry for the school, not Akane or anyone"

"Father, he's kind of young for me" she pleaded.

"Do you object to my choice of husbands for you?" Soun asked.

She hung her head, "No father, I'll try and be a good wife to Ranma" she replied.

"What about you boy?" Genma asked.

"For the good of our two families, I will go along with it for now. But I shall find a way to prove Akane's innocent, she's my friend" Ranma snarled.

"So now you admit that you like Akane?" Genma said. Ranma just blushed. "Stay away from that tramp, I understand that she's living with him now and has taken his last name"

Ranma was in turmoil. Did this mean that Akane had married Mousse? Was there any truth to all of this?

Shampoo

I was jealous of Akane at first and I knew it. Ranma acting all crazy around her was enough, but the man who has loved me all my life suddenly paying all of his attention to Akane was beyond ridiculous! He first had started this by portioning off their room by use of a curtain and a second futon was added for her. Then he was always holding her as she sobbed or softly talking to her. Then I realized that her favour to me that had cost her everything, and then I felt bad.

Mousse, I don't actually hate him as I appear to. It must appear funny, the coldhearted bitch telling him to go to hell practically every day while he sobs for attention. If only they knew the real story.

It started at the last Amazon tournament, not the one where I met Ranma, but the one pervious to that. I was fifteen and had proved to be the victor. I sat with my fellow male and female warriors and watched as my friends made the secret signal to their chosen lovers of that evening, these were accept by the male signaling back. I'd never done anything sexual before, I'd been saving myself for someone I love. However, that night I felt different and did the signal to Mousse. He looked surprised, but accepted my proposition. We went to his hut; we were both rather shy at first. He was inexperienced, but surprisingly sweet and gentle. There was a slight twinge of pain followed by a cry of bliss, this was echoed soon after.

Then I got into our new relationship and I started waiting for him to leave the field everyday, my friends would make fun of me. We would go back to his place every night and talk, eat dinner together and make love. I ceased to see him as the cute young boy he had been and started to see the handsome, sweetheart of a man that he was becoming. His height was increasing and so was his strength. His only problem was with his eyesight and I started to see past that. I was taking herbs that prevented conception, but forgot one night........and then I missed my period. Then I missed two and had to tell him. His eyes lit up and he promised that we would do whatever I want. If an Amazon woman falls pregnant, then marriage by defeat law is forfeit and she can either choose to marry the father or raise it on her own.

Then my great-grandmother sent Mousse away on an errand and whispered words of disparagement into my ears: that he was weak, that he was unworthy, fear of his eyesight being genetic and how our daughter could never rule with this defect. She brow beat me into competing at the next tournament and said that she would accept Mousse and I as a couple if I won. I didn't win, but was thrown from the log by a redheaded outsider, this cause me to lose the baby later that night. I had already given her the kiss of death by the point. So assuage my grief and avenge my child I went to killed her, only to find that she was a he, meaning I had to marry him instead. He was a handsome guy so I thought it for the best. Ranma, my new love and murderer of my old one.

I had to tell Mousse what happened and thought that he would hate me; I hoped that he would hate me and tell me to go fuck myself. With grief in his beautiful eyes, he told me that he still loved me and wanted to marry me. I told him that I hated him and never wanted to see him again. I hated myself for losing our baby and I hated him for being so nice about it. So I moved to Japan to pursue my new love, but Mousse followed me. I enjoy publically humiliating him by pursuing Ranma; it makes me feels good to taunt him. I love watching him cry. Mousse, just go home, we can never be as we were. I don't love you anymore.

I eventually had to realize that Mousse regarded Akane as a younger sister in need of protection; their touches were for comfort and not for pleasure. So I decided to offer her a token of friendship and went into Mousse's room where she always seemed to hide. She hadn't been back to school yet and we were starting to get a little worried about her.

I found her lying on the futon staring dead ahead "Akane, I brought you Chinese dress to wear for working in restaurant" I said with a smile of friendship.

"So I have to cook?" she asked. I couldn't help giggle at this notion.

"No waitress like me" I said and held out the dress to her. She changed behind the curtain and I couldn't resist laughing at the way that my dress bagged at her hips and breasts. I could see a twinge of pain in her eyes and wondered why.

"I guess I don't have much of a figure" she said sadly. I answered by pulling her jeans over my own satin pants to show that they wouldn't go past my hips.

"No you have different figure then me is all, is easy to take dress in for body. Akane have nice figure, just is petite while mine voluptuous. We both look different in each other's clothes and both look funnier in Mousse's." She grinned back at me, so we had fun trying on each other's clothes and then hit Mousse's closet. He came home to find us each wearing a white robe of his. We looked back at him guiltily until he asked "is there a party going on that I wasn't invited to?" We just cracked up and all of us became friends at that moment.

Akane

It was strange living with the Amazons at first. I had thought that they were always as they appeared in public, but in their private life they acted more relaxed around one another. Shampoo and Mousse were much friendlier and even Cologne would join in their jokes. They functioned together as a unit when they worked in the kitchen. Each just seemed to sense what was needed and did it. They were the most organized society that I had even seen and they were friendly to me. Apparently I was considered to be an Amazon now.

In the early days, it was a little weird. Mousse would wake up and I would hear him donning his clothes and then he would hum to himself while he combed his hair. Shampoo liked to sing Chinese love songs while she dressed, so they had quite the chorus going. I would wait until Mousse left, and then I would get dressed myself and join them for breakfast. They liked to fruit salad with whole wheat toast. Cologne did the cross word puzzle, while we all traded sections of the newspaper back and forth until the paper was read. Then they would go work out at Chinese dojo nearby run by Master Chang, who was actually the largest Amazon female that I'd ever met. She was The Terminator with dainty earrings. She had more muscles in her neck. then me my entire body.

I was thrilled when Cologne watched me train and then said "Akane, you're an Amazon now. Would you like me to train you as a proper warrior?"

I lit up for the first time in days that so powerful a warrior would want to train me! "W-would you do that?" I asked, not used to my desire for proper martial training being taken seriously.

She nodded, "you have natural potential, which is being wasted. Brute strength and the ability to break bricks is only the half of it. You have to learn proper defense and attack techniques also" she replied. Let's just say that I had bruises all over my body by the time the instructions were over and I had more to look forward to the next day and the day after that.

On the final day before I was to return to school, Mousse took me to a place where people were trained to work the dragon in the parade. I had a ball trying to work first the middle and then head in tandem with the rest of the players. I was awful, but had a blast. It was almost enough for me to forget that I had to face going back to school tomorrow.

People have already heard about my disownment. I can tell because of how they look at me when I walked with either Shampoo or Mousse. I have never realized how disconnected the Chinese people seemed from the Japanese, we sometimes got hostile glances when we Amazons walked together, Xian Pu, Mu Tzu, Ku Lon and I, Akane Mu.


	4. Chapter 4

Shampoo pulled at Akane's collar again, she wore a dark blue, almost black satin Chinese long sleeved blouse with matching pants and black cotton Chinese shoes. There was no embroidery on the outfit and the only adornments were that the frogs were a lighter blue colour. It hugged her petite figure perfectly, but not too tightly and brought out thr blue highlights in her hair and emphasized her large brown eyes. Akane probably thought that wearing these clothes made her appear more powerful, but in fact they made her look more childlike. "You sure about this Akane?" Shampoo asked. "It not too late to change into your school uniform"

"I'm sure; Akane Tendo was a dutiful daughter and nice girl who always obeyed all the rules in school. I'm not her anymore, Daddy and Mr. Saotome saw to that. Other students don't wear their uniforms, why should I?" Akane said. She felt reborn now that she had a different lifestyle and a different family.

"Okay but please remember that being Amazon is lifestyle and not escape" she cautioned the girl.

Akane blushed and then boldly said "Ku Lon told me that warriors are encouraged to take lovers. Did you do that?"

Shampoo was surprised that the normally shy girl would be bold enough to ask this question "just one" she admitted.

"What was he like? I hope you don't mind me asking, I just can't picture making love to someone that I'm not going to marry" she said.

Shampoo pushed back the slight pain that always accompanied these memories "he was handsome and very sweet, I did love him" she said.

"So what happened?" Akane asked, intrigued by the idea of Shampoo loving someone besides Ranma.

"I had to break up with him for political reason" she said and then stopped talking when Mousse joined them. She experienced a slight bolt of lust at what he was wearing. He had forsaken his usual robe for a sleeveless black cotton Chinese vest with a mandarin collar and plain frogs. This exposed his lean, muscular arms and allowed the muscles of his torso to show. She knew that he was dressed this way to walk Akane to school, as the only member of his family present; he had to show the world that he was able to defend her. However, the darkness of the fabric made his skin look paler, made his eyes look an even darker green and made his freshly washed hair look even shinier.

"You ready Akane?" he asked and grabbed an apple.

"You not have proper breakfast?" Shampoo asked him.

"I don't want her to be late" he answered and picked up Akane's book bag.

"Akane, I made you lunch" Ku Lon said.

Akane felt a rush of tenderness for the old woman and hugged her, she seemed to be surprised, but hugged her back. "Thank you Elder" she said.

"You're welcome child" she replied.

Akane couldn't help noticing how cute Mousse looked in what she'd always termed 'Ranma's summer wardrobe' "you look nice like that, you should dress this way more often" she observed. She smiled when he blushed, but she could tell he was pleased.

"My martial arts style makes it rather hard to dress this way" he explained and then returned the compliment "you look nice dressed this way, usually you wear bulky clothing, this suits your body much better"

Now it was Akane's turn to blush "do you think that Ranma will like it?" she asked.

"Still thinking about him?" Mousse said repressing a smile; everyone could see how crazy they were about each other.

"No!" she said flustered. "Well maybe a little, I can't believe that dummy hasn't even tried to contact me!" she cried.

"He's probably under the same restrictions as you. Don't give up on him" Mousse advised.

"But, he isn't mine to claim now" she pointed.

"That's for him to decide. This can still blow over any day now and then you can go home" Mousse promised her.

"I don't know if I want to, I prefer being an Amazon" she admitted.

"Yes, but you aren't in the village; things would be different there. With you being here in Japan, it's just like you're on vacation from your regular life. One day we shall return to China and you will have to decide if you want to come with us" he cautioned.

"I suppose you're right" she said and then stood nervously in front of the entrance to her school. "Do you want me to go to the principal's office with you and explain what happened?" Mousse asked.

Akane shook her head "they've already heard" she said, "I better get going" and squared her shoulders and took her bag.

"Okay, I'll be here to pick you up at three" Mousse said and left. Akane could hear the vicious whispers start immediately "that's her lover; I heard that they got married. Stupid slut, he can't be her first. Why would a decent Japanese girl waste herself on that trash?" greeted her ears. She just held her head high and ignored them.

Ranma frowned to see Akane walking to school with a sexier version of Mousse, in her own Chinese clothes they made a handsome couple. She seemed to be enjoying her conversation with him and they weren't arguing in the least. They seemed comfortable with each other and that bothered Ranma. He handed her her book bag at the gate and then Ranma waited for them to kiss goodbye, but instead Mousse left with quick wave.

Akane could sense Ranma walking behind her and tried to imitate Shampoo's sexy way of walking, which didn't quite work for her. She sat her desk and kept her eyes dead ahead. She was so irked at Ranma for his not contacting her that she almost hated him at the moment, that and she remembered her promise. Their teacher took roll call, when she called "Akane Tendo"

Akane raised her hand and corrected "actually its Akane Mu now." This was greeted by snickers. The teacher frowned at the disturbance "well Miss Mu, you can go see the principal" she ordered.

Akane gathered up her books and went to see Principal Kuno "Wahine Tendo, why are you dressed funny and why did you give your teacher a different surname?" the flamboyant man asked.

"I'm dressed this way because I've been adopted by a Chinese family and have taken their last name. I'm sure that you heard that I've been disowned? As for myself having the right to dress this way, I can easily send a picture of how your son dresses to the school board if you disagree" she said sweetly, relishing challenging authority this way.

"No, that okay" he said with a gulp. "Your hair is just fine, please don't wear anything too tight or revealing" he requested.

"Then you'll give me the special exemption slip that you gave your son and Ranma Saotome?" she said with a challenge in her voice. Wordless, he slid the pad out of his desk and it filled out for her. He wondered what had made the fiery tempered, yet conventional girl seem so grown up.

At lunch, Akane went to join her friends, only to have Yuka whispered "I'm sorry Akane, but our fathers have forbidden us to mingle with you, they're afraid that you'll corrupt us. You'll have to find somewhere else to sit."

Akane blanched at looked around, she could see the guilt in even Nabiki's eyes when she her searched for a place to sit where she would be welcomed. Nabiki gave a sad shake to her head. Akane picked up her lunch and went to move to a free table when she heard someone call "ignore those jackasses, come sit with me Akane"

She turned in surprise to see the normally solitary Ukyou waving her over, feeling grateful she joined her. "Thank you so much" she gushed.

"For what, having a head on my shoulders? If it was someone besides Mousse, I might have believed it" she said.

"I thought that you didn't like me?" Akane said.

"I've never had anything against you, besides us disowned girls have to stick together" Ukyou declared.

"You were disowned?" Akane asked.

"Yes, after my father lost his cart we were both kicked out of our clan, him for losing his livelihood and me for allowing myself to be dishonoured by Ranma" she said with a flash of pain in her eyes.

"Ukyou, I'm sorry, I didn't even know you had a family" Akane said in sympathy.

"I have a huge one; they developed the martial art of okonomiyaki making. I have tons of uncles, aunts and cousins all over Japan. I'm forbidden to see them though. When my father lost his cart under false pretenses, he discredited himself as a martial artist and me along with him. It was just he and I for years, then he died and then I had no one. I tried to contact my family for help with the funeral, but they refused to talk with me. So now it's just me against the world" Ukyou said with a false, bright laugh. "I never expected to marry and here I am a fiancée, I won in the end"

"That's why you want Ranma so badly?" Akane asked, finally understanding the other girl's obsession.

Ukyou nodded "marrying him would restore my and my father's honor, he's the only chance I have" she explained.

"We're not engaged anymore, you can have him" Akane said, feeling sorry for the girl.

"Thanks Akane. If you ever need a friend, I'm here" Ukyou promised and they hugged, causing most males in the cafeteria to get a nosebleed.

She went to walk and heard someone say "so you're with Mousse now?"

"Ranma!" she said her eyes lighting, but then she remembered her promises and her friend's needs and said. "Yes I am and I've taken his name" she lied.

"Akane, I wanted to come see you but my father threatened to disown me too, I've been engaged to Kasumi" he said. "Akane none of this can be true!" he cried.

"It is true, in the Amazon tradition I've taken a lover. I'm sorry Ranma, but we don't have to be engaged anymore. You're free to marry anyone that you want. Marry Shampoo, marry Ukyou or marry my sister, all of them are gorgeous and can cook" she said with false enthusiasm.

Something flickered in his blue eyes "is that how you really feel?" he asked.

"Yes" she said.

"Fine so be it" he yelled and took to the roof tops to hide his tears. Akane brushed away her own tears and braved the hostile whispers to get to her next class. As she had a free period, she left early to return to the Neko Hanten.

Ranma found himself in the rain and stopped by Dr. Tofu's clinic for shelter and hot water. The kindly doctor gave him a dry gi to change into. "Fuck Akane and fuck Mousse" Ranma snarled as he changed.

"Oh how are they doing? I haven't seen them for a while now" said the astute doctor.

"When were they here last?" Ranma asked.

"The day that Akane was disowned, they came by for a letter to verify her virginity. Oh dear, I wasn't supposed to tell you that" he said.

"Was she?" Ranma said.

"She didn't have a hymen, but that doesn't mean she isn't a virgin" Dr. Tofu said, then realized that Ranma must have missed high school sex education "the hymen is a thin piece of tissue guarding her vagina. Think of it as being a force field guarding a cave, you have to get rid of it in order to enter the cave" he explained to the blushing martial artist. "Hymens can break on their own in females who engage in sports, like Akane" he explained. "Soun being so old fashioned, wouldn't take this into account, for him no hymen means no a virgin"

"So then there's a chance that she's never had sex?" Ranma said.

"There was no sign of sexual activity when I examined her and with the drug that someone fed Mousse, I would have been surprised if there was" Dr. Tofu said.

"Thanks Dr. Tofu, I have to figure something out now" Ranma said with renewed hope.

"Ranma before you go, I have something to give you" Ranma turned bright red when one of them turned out to be a sex education textbook and the other a copy of The Joy of Sex.

"W-why are you giving me these me?" he stammered.

"Ignorance is never a good thing, there's no reason for you not to know this stuff. I suggest that you read both, your future wife will thank you for it" he said.

Blushing Ranma tucked them as far down in his book bag as possible (almost putting a hole in it in the process) and left. Dr. Tofu waved goodbye after him; he suspected that Kasumi was going to be single again soon.

Akane went up the stairs and found Mousse and Shampoo were in the kitchen. She sat on the counter while he stirred a pot. "Come on taste the spaghetti sauce" he said and held a small bowl out to her. She took the bowl, allowing her fingertips to brush his and sampled it.

"Is delicious Mousse" she declared, staring at him over the rim.

He placed his hand on her thigh and took the bowl from her, "it's time you start making the meatballs then" he said in a teasing tone of voice.

She got off the counter and leaned over to grab a pot, he grinned as he smacked her taunt bottom.

Akane expected her to hit him; instead she whirled around, "hiya, Mousse naughty boy" she said in mock anger.

Akane cleared her throat and they leapt apart guiltily.

"Oh Akane get off early, Mousse just making spaghetti for tonight. We get sick of Chinese all of time, so him take Italian cooking course. Mousse great with sauces" she said in a rush.

Akane looked from one to the other wondering what she had just witnessed, she could have sworn that they were flirting with each other.


	5. Chapter 5

People seem to be confused by this story. I wish to clarify a few points; this is a R/A pairing and a M/S pairing at the same time. This is about a journey that Akane is undertaking, Ranma is only in the background, he doesn't have to save her because she's safe where she is. It is about what could happen if someone stepped outside of their normal existence and were offered another life and identity and how that would change them. As for the back stories that I am writing about the other characters, these are a key factor in the story. Akane's starting to get to know the motivating factors behind the stubborn, driven martial artists that make up the wrecking crew and is making emotional connections with them. Perhaps I should have called it Akane's Journey: Who Are These Weird People? I didn't like this title. If you are still wondering about the story, feel free to drop me a PM.

Regarding longer chapters, I update almost every day at work and can't do more then six pages as result. I don't wish to lose my job over my hobby :)

Btw, the racial slurs are only done by an outraged father and sour grapes that the hottest girl in school supposedly chose someone they thought an odd choice.

Sid

******

Ranma

Ranma was in his room serendipitously reading the books that Dr. Tofu had loaned him. He was blushing like mad at both the graphic depictions of female genitalia and then learning what the slag terms actually meant. "Popping her cherry' became breaking her hymen. "Eating a girl out" became cunnilingus or oral sex and the location of a girl's clitoris became apparently clear. Dr. Tofu had been right, Ranma had never attended a sex ed class and was clueless except for locker room talk, which often confused him.

Wanting to test this new knowledge, Ranma dumped a glass of cold water that he had with him over his head and blushingly removed her pants. Her trembling fingers reached towards the top of her slit. She gasped when she touched the sensitive organ there. She rubbed it experimentally and gently moaned when waves of desire shot through her. Her pulse quickened and she flushed when she imagined her finger to be Akane's own slim digit. She deepened the circular motions until she reached her peak and gasped "Akane"

The flustered girl rushed to the onsen before anyone could ask her why she was a girl. He redressed after his bath and then reviewed the earmarked section on the hymen:

1The **hymen**, or the **vaginal corona**, is a fold of mucous membrane that surrounds or partially covers the external vaginal opening. It forms part of the vulva, or external genitalia. Despite this, it is not possible to confirm that a woman is a virgin by examining her hymen. In cases of suspected rape or sexual abuse, a detailed examination of the hymen may be carried out; but the condition of the hymen alone is often inconclusive or open to misinterpretation, especially if the patient has reached puberty. In children, although a common appearance of the hymen is crescent-shaped, many variations are possible. After a woman gives birth, she may be left with remnants of the hymen, called _carunculae myrtiformes_, or the hymen may be completely absent.

He reread this and set the book down to absorb the fact that its absence was not an indicative of virginity and then picked the book up purposely to confront Mr. Tendo.

"You see" Ranma lectured "Akane was examined by Dr. Tofu and although she didn't have a hymen, no sexual activity had taken place either. They were telling the truth about Mousse having something slipped into his drink, Akane staying with him to talk him down and then falling asleep. What you saw was completely innocent and most likely Akane's still a virgin" he said.

Mr. Tendo mulled this over while he sipped his sake, it was true that he missed his youngest daughter but wasn't going to admit that he might have been wrong without concrete proof. "It doesn't mean that she isn't either" he said calmly.

"Mr. Tendo, you should know that an active lifestyle can tear a hymen. Mrs. Tendo was a martial artist, surely that affected hers?" Ranma suggested grasping at straws.

Soun's head shot up at the insult "not that it's any of your business, but my wife was entirely a virgin on our wedding night. She was examined by a doctor before my family agreed to the match. Do not insult my late wife that way! If Akane really was a virgin, wouldn't she be here trying to persuade me of her innocence rather then living in sin with Mousse?" he snarled.

"I can see why she isn't bothering, you aren't willing to listen to reason" Ranma said. "At least read this book, it suggest ways that women can lose their virginity naturally and contains statistics about how many women are born without a hymen" he implored him and then noticed his future father-in-law's gaze narrow as he read the title of the book. Ranma blushed three shades of red to discover that he had grabbed the wrong book and was holding the flesh coloured book with the mostly naked couple embracing on the cover titled, 'The Joy of Sex, A Gourmet Guide to Lovemaking'. Soun continued to stare at the book and then looked up at Ranma and said.

"It looks like we should move up the wedding date. You appear to be ready" he remarked with a smirk.

Ranma just fled out the window.

Akane was up the ladder and clinging to the ladder for dear life, that she wore a training belt and that there was a net underneath was irrelevant; she was as scared as hell and now wished that she hadn't insisted on trying circus school. Mousse himself was having a blast performing stunts on the trapeze bar while not bothering to wear a belt, Akane watched in astonishment while he swung around on it, stood on it and swooped forward balanced only on his stomach.

"You're insane" she called to him.

He joined her on the platform "nah, the style of martial arts that we were taught in the village are highly aerial and easily adaptable to the fly trapeze. You'll pick this up easier then you think and it will help you with balance" he said.

"How did you end up in the circus anyway?" she asked curious.

"After my encounter with the Jusenkyo springs, another Amazon male had a cousin that was in the circus, he told him about me and they asked if I wanted to perform as they were looking for unique acts. Mu Mu Chan was born from there. It was a job that I was uniquely qualified for, I had to eat after all and only really took it when I found out that the tour included Nerima" he explained. "I was mostly a knife thrower, but took up the trapeze to improve my aerial skills. He took a hold of the bar and rocketed himself forward and then hooked his legs over and said, "now don't to use the trapeze, just try and gauge where my hands will be, then leap forward in a front flip and grab me. I'll swing you back, then let go and let yourself fall into the net" he called to her.

Akane examined the pendulum-like motion of the other martial artist and then took her stance and leapt into the air. with the skill of a ballerina, the normally clumsy girl curled forward and executed a perfect front flip, then caught onto Mousse's capable hands and arched her body at the last second to fall into the net. She bounced for a few seconds and then whooped "I did it!"

Mousse smiled at her success, she was improving in every way in so short a time.

Mousse

Mousse recognized the Furinkan high school boys as ones that normally came in to ogle Shampoo; he normally tolerated this in order to maintain proper customer relations. However, they seemed especially vile today and kept staring at him. "That's the guy who fucked Akane" he heard one whisper and the rest leered at him. Thinking that he was mishearing thing, he decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. It was when Akane came home after to school and changed for her shift that the shit hit the fan.

She waited on them, Mousse noticed her blushing and she started yelling at them. "What's going on here?" he demanded.

"We asked your girlfriend if her sweet pussy was on the menu as she seems to be giving it away freely these days and how much for her friend to join" the first boy said.

"Akane, go serve Shampoo's section" Mousse ordered and pushed the girl away before she could protest. "I'm asking you to leave quietly or I'll make you leave. This isn't a massage palour" Mousse admonished.

"Why not, I thought that that was what Chinese girls are good at?" the second boy taunted. They said this just as Master Chang walked in the door. She'd come to tell her friends that her flower arranging class was double booked at the community center, so she'd volunteered the dojo to them for the next day. Master Chang was six foot three and had the largest body on a woman that Akane had ever seen. Yet she loved to wear the most feminine dresses in public of the most fragile fabrics of silk and lace, in the most girlish colours. That was matched with her love of delicate hair jewelry and earrings. She always wore full makeup and had her long nails perfectly manicured. The sight of her was somewhat disturbing with her high girly voice that could boom like a sailor's when she was angry, like now. Today she wore a delicate pink silk dress with a keyhole neckline that exposed the hard flat planes of her pecs, on which her rock solid breasts rested like boil eggs.

She pursued her pink lipsticked mouth and said. "If you like Chinese girls maybe you want try me out?" and clutched a boy in each huge fist while she dragged them from the restaurant while the others cowered in the booth, too afraid to learn the fate of their friends. "Come with me, this fine restaurant my friends run and I need to take trash out" she commanded. All the customers watched in dismay while the huge Amazon pulverized all five males with her huge fists, undainty high heeled shoes and dainty pink purse. It was a sight to behold.

Afterwards the undelicate creature straightened her pretty clothing, snarled "that kicking ass Chinese style!" and walked away unscathed with a pat to her perfectly coifed hair.

Akane could only stare after her "is she married?" she asked the grinning Shampoo.

"Yes for ten years, she have five kids" she replied.

"She's quite the lady" Akane said in admiration.

"Best one I know" Shampoo agreed.

Later on that night, Akane was surprise by a visitor "I said that I wish to talk to Akane Tendo" she heard a familiar voice say.

"There's no Akane Tendo here" Ku Lon said putting herself in Kuno's path.

"Now listen, I know that she's here you old bat" he snarled.

"There's an Akane Mu here, whether she wants to see you is up to her" she replied.

"I'll talk to him" Akane said stepping into the room. Both Shampoo and Mousse looked at her questioningly while they backed up the diminutive elder.

"Then you'll have to have a chaperone" Ku Lon said glaring up at the Kendoist.

"Akane and I have been alone many times in the past" Kuno protested.

"She wasn't an Amazon then; we don't leave unmarried or concubineless females alone with outsiders" she said, had a seat beside Akane and glared a challenge for Kuno to protest. He just sat and sulked. Shampoo and Mousse were dispersed with a nod from her.

"Akane I would like to propose marriage to you" he said without preamble.

"How dare you try and trap me into marriage using this nasty situation!" Akane cried in outrage. Ku Lon tensed beside her.

"I'm not; I want to offer you my last name and protection as you no longer have your own, leaving you prey to cruel misguided lotharios. It could be a marriage of convenience until you're ready. That which befell you in clearly untrue and I want to help" he said sincerely.

Akane was surprised by the sincerity in his voice and how lucid he appeared "you're serious?" she asked.

"Yes, I don't have any other motivations or intentions" he promised.

"You seem different" she commented and noticed that he wasn't even wearing his uniform.

He smiled rather bitterly and said "I took my meds before I came, I often forget. This stabilizes me" he said.

"Meds?" she questioned.

"Everyone on my father's side of the family suffers from delusional disorder, my sister and father are a little worse than me" he admitted. "It's genetic, it can be controlled by meds to a degree but isn't curable"

"Kuno, I'm sorry I never knew" Akane said honestly feeling badly for him.

"I don't often tell people, it's far better to be viewed as a rich eccentric" he replied. "That's why I go to Furinkan High School and not a private school like my sister. What's cute on a pretty girl is just pathetic on a guy. I never know when I'm going to go manic" he explained. "Akane I'm not saying all this to make you feel sorry for me, I want you to understand that if you agree to marry me that we can never have children of our own. I don't wish to pass to on to future generations. It would have to be adoption or by donor sperm" he said.

Akane could only smile at who she formerly thought was a weirdo pervert. She appreciated that he was trying to help out and knew that probably pained him to admit his condition to her. "Kuno I thank you for your concern, but I have a new last name already and people taking care of me" she replied.

His face fell "I was just trying to help, I wasn't trying anything perverse I assure you" he said sincerely.

She surprised herself by hugging the Kendoist and he hugged her back "I know and I thank you" she assured him.

"If you ever need anything you know where to find me" he said suddenly looking shy and left. Akane could only marvel at the misperceptions that she had of the people she knew. Imagine Kuno and Kodachi were the victims of a genetic mental condition!

Dr. Tofu was walking in the park when he heard someone crying. He hurried in the direction of the sound and was surprised to find that it was Kasumi sobbing her heart out. His concern and love for her allowed him to approach her as a rational man for once and without a thought, he sat down and pulled her against him. She seemed surprised at first, then trusting him; she wrapped her arms around him and boo hoo-ed against his chest.

"Kasumi what's wrong?" he asked her while he stroked her silky hair.

"Father wants me to marry Ranma and I don't want to" she said. "He's forcing me to" she said in wobbling voice.

"He can't make you" Dr. Tofu said firmly.

"He's my father, I've got to do what he says" she cried.

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen, if I have to marry you myself" he promised her firmly.

"Y-you would?" she said.

"Yes, I promise" Dr. Tofu said. "However Kasumi I want you to go to visit Akane. She's the key to all of this and needs your support"

"But father…." she protested.

"Doesn't own you. You don't have to marry anyone you don't want to, you're a full grown woman" he said firmly.

"Okay I'll go see Akane" she promised him with renewed hope. Ranma wasn't the one she wanted to marry, Dr. Tofu was and he had almost just proposed to her!

1 This was copied from http://en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Hymen


	6. Chapter 6

La la la, still flying (writing) by the seat of my pants

Sid

******

Akane was in her room when she heard Mousse and Shampoo arguing, it seemed that they had just ran into Ranma in the market. Feeling bad about eavesdropping, she opened the door to let them know that she could hear them. The rage in Mousse's voice stopped her. "You should be ashamed of yourself for flaunting your body like that before Ranma. All the sexy clothes and the bimbo act how are they good for the future of the tribe? It brings shame on all of us for the most powerful warrior of her generation to whore herself like common street trash" he hissed and spun her to face him. She slapped him across the face, not on the head like normal, but an open handed slap of impatience. Mousse clutched his red cheek with rage in his eyes.

"Mousse you know I married to Ranma is time that you grew up and face facts. I need to act like this to get Airen back to China and live with him in tribe. All our males weak from too much interbreeding and too many girls, not enough men" she said in exasperation.

"It that reason or is it that you love him?" Mousse asked in a calmer tone of voice. "Why are you acting this way? You're not stupid and you're not a slut. The Xian Pu I know would never demean herself like this for a male"

"That Xian Pu is gone, girl that you spent summer with dead" she said. "She died after she met Ranma; then caterpillar became butterfly"

"Didn't that summer mean anything to you; didn't I mean anything to you?" he asked. "I still love you and don't blame you for what happened"

She laughed a bitter sounding laugh "yes, you offer your crippled self to me. I want man, not boy" she sneered.

"I was enough for you before" he said softly.

"Well you not now" she snapped and pushed him away.

Akane was startled when he slammed Shampoo against the wall and just stared down at her with unreadable emotion on his face. Shampoo looked back at him just as strangely, and then they were kissing hard and frantically. Mousse felt electrified by her kiss, a bolt of lust shot through him and he got hard instantly. Shampoo rubbed herself suggestively against him while she mewed. He ground back against her with a groan and cupped her toned bottom in his hands to draw her closer to him; she gripped his own hard glutes. "Come to my room" she said frantically. This caused him to wrench himself away from her with a snarl.

He could see those happy days in his mind, the two of them making love in a soft sweet smell grass, or at his place. Her hair spread out like a soft cloud around them while their bodies moved together and their hearts beat in time. How during a festival he watched the fireworks dance in her raspberry coloured eyes. He wanted her so badly that he could practically taste her again, but she was never his to begin with. So he said. "No I want to be your husband, not some tool to scratch your itch" Then shoved his hair back impatiently and said "Shampoo, I love you, you and Peanut were my only dream"

"You think I didn't want Peanut? I still miss her, I find myself wondering who she would have looked like you or me" she said with a tear in her eye.

"Shampoo" Mousse said reaching out to comfort her.

She pulled herself together "Mousse if you want me, come to room or forget it. You can have my body but not my heart, Ranma has heart" she said and leered at him. She desired him no matter what and didn't see any harm in them resuming their sexual relationship until Ranma came to his senses. Until she saw the tears streaming down his face.

"So that's all I'm good for, a quick tumble in the hay? Not someone you can love or even care about. This is all you want from me" he said in an anguished voice.

She hated to see him upset when they were alone together; they'd been so close lately. With him having a friend to talk to, he'd reverted to being how he had been when they were close friends as children, sweet and loving without being cloying. She' hoped that Akane and he might develop feelings for each other, but they seemed to just be friends. "Mousse?" she said holding out her arms to him.

"Don't touch me" he sobbed, ran into his room and slammed the door. He was startled to see Akane sitting on her futon; she held her arm out for him and he didn't even hesitate to lower himself into them. She lay him down so that their fronts were pressed together while he cried into her shoulder. As she held him, she realized that the old Akane would have been horrified to be lying in bed with a man. However the new Akane knew that Mousse wasn't a threat to her virginity and that she trusted him and cared about him. He'd become her rock in her new life and she owed him a lot. The bond that lay between them was something akin to brother and sister. Akane suspected that if the pain of her disownment hadn't been so fresh and had he not already been committed, that they would have eventually become a couple. A man like Mousse was created for love. He loved with his whole being and would hold no part of himself back from the woman he loved. She had always assumed that someone could drown in the intensity of Mousse's emotions, but now she realized that if he was offered simple affection in a loving relationship, that that would be enough for him.

When he stopped weeping, she rubbed the rest of the tears from his damp face and softly pressed her lips against his. He seemed a bit hesitant at first, but then kissed her back. It was a soft, slow, almost chaste kiss with no hint of lust in it. It bespoke of caring, comfort and the love of a close friend. It was over almost as soon as it had begun and then they just lay wordlessly in each other's arms. Until Akane said "Who's Peanut"

Mousse got up and straightened his clothes, opened his trunk and brought out a pair of well made baby booties. "She was supposed to be our daughter" he said. "My youngest sister named her that because we said she was the size of a peanut at the time" he explained smiling at the memory.

Akane's jaw dropped open; this is something she would have never expected in a million years! "Your daughter, you mean that yourself and Shampoo....?" she said.

He nodded "we were lovers for a few months" he said.

"I never would have believed it, you act so virginal" Akane cried and then blushed.

"How does a virgin act?" he asked bemused.

"They say stupid things I guess" she said. "What happened to her?" she asked.

"Shampoo miscarried in her first trimester. She entered a martial arts contest while pregnant and was flung from a log, this caused her to miscarry" he said still upset at the memory of rushing back to the village, only for Ku Lon to tell him that Shampoo didn't want him anymore and that their baby was dead.

"I'm sorry Mousse" she said.

"It was long ago" he said dismissively. Yet Akane now understood the depth of his rage against Ranma. For Mousse to have to watch his lover offer all that he desired to another man must devastate him. Yet he was rejected time and time again but always come back because he'd already tasted their love and crave more. Abandonment, rejection, pain: that was more then enough to make someone crazy.

"Ranma doesn't want her" she said.

He smiled without humour, "I know, that's the worst part" he commented. Akane got him a sleeping mushroom and held him. She hummed the song he always did in the mornings to him until he fell asleep and then tip toed out to find Shampoo.

"Him okay?" she asked.

"He was hurting for a bit, but should be okay" Akane answered. "Mousse was your lover" she stated, it wasn't a question. She nodded. "But you said you loved him?"

"I did, I never told him. I didn't want relationship to change, then got pregnant and got scared" she said. "When baby die, my love for him die too, had to move on. Found out Ranma male and come here" She said with a shrug.

"Are you sure that you're over him?" Akane asked thinking about the cozy scene from a couple nights ago.

Akane saw something flicker in her eyes and then she said "yes positive"

Kasumi was surprised to see a Chinese clad Akane walking towards her, for a second she had thought that Ranko had cut and dyed her hair.

The vision took a seat at the table in the food court where they'd arranged to meet. "Hi Kasumi, I'm so happy you called me" she exclaimed and hugged the older girl.

"How's school going?" she asked.

She could see a flash of pain in her eyes and then she said "most of my old friends are forbidden to talk to me and the rest ignore me, but its better now that Ukyou's my friend and Kuno walks me to all my classes" she admitted.

"Akane why are you dressed that way?" she asked.

"I always thought that Ranma and the Chinese people looked so cute dressed in these clothes, decided to try them and now I love them. The fortunate things is that I don't think that Ku Lon has ever gotten rid of any of Xian Pu's clothes, so I have an entire wardrobe of her hand me downs" she explained.

Kasumi raised her eyebrows at the unfamiliar pronunciations of their names. "Are things going well between yourself and Mousse?" she asked. Ranma had told her.

Akane bit her lip at this "Kasumi, I can't lie to you, Mousse's a like a brother to me. You can't tell Ranma, I promised not to see him anymore. There's no reason to anyway, we're no longer engaged" she explained.

"Father is making me marry Ranma. Nabiki refused him, but father knew that I wouldn't" Kasumi said with her eyes filling with tears.

"You can't marry him! You have to marry Dr. Tofu, he loves you" Akane cried.

Kasumi blushed at what she said "he does?" she asked.

"Of course, why do you think that he gets so crazy around you?" she asked.

"You mean all of those stunts are because he loves me?" Kasumi said with a gasp, finally understanding. "But, what can I do? Ranma and I are supposed to get married in two weeks" she admitted.

"Kasumi, you haven't even been engaged that long, why are they rushing the wedding?" Akane asked.

"Because I'm not resisting, they have been shoving us forward. Ranma isn't resisting either because Mr. Saotome keeps threatening to disown him and then the school wouldn't have any heirs. He's positive that we'll think of something, but times running out. Father's make me wear mother's wedding kimono."

"Kasumi if you want to come with me, the Amazons will take you in" Akane offered.

Kasumi shook her head "I can't leave father, he couldn't live without me" she said.

"Then I think we have to talk to Dr. Tofu" Akane said a plan forming in her mind.

Ranma finally bit the bullet and asked Shampoo to meet him.

"Hiya you want to see Shampoo, I so happy" she gushed, reaching out to glomp onto him.

She was surprised when he easily held her at arms length "Shampoo, I need you to be serious for once" he said. "I have some questions for you"

"Okay" she answered in a serious tone of voice. "What Ranma need to know?" she asked.

"I want to know the Amazon marriage laws because Akane and Mousse never slept together and he certainly never defeated her, therefore I need to know how he could be married to her" Ranma said with a frown.

Shampoo felt that she was betraying both her airen and her friend by lying to Ranma, but she'd promised. Plus this could help her win Ranma. "Mousse offered her protection of his family, meaning that she took his last name and became something like his wife. Rather like you and I are married" she lied.

"So they are together now?" Ranma said.

"They share his room" Shampoo said, that wasn't a lie.

Ranma could feel his last hope die. He'd never gotten the chance to tell Akane that he loved her and now she was married to the man who'd stood by her when she needed someone. Unlike Ranma had, like he should have. "So it's too late?" he said softly.

"Ranma do you love Akane?" she asked. She personally didn't care if he did, what's a childish crush? They always faded when the outsider male finally accepted his hot Amazon wife, intense bodily pleasures saw to that.

"I-I don't know" he said blushing painfully.

"She's Amazon now and lives with us, if you want come with me you can be too. It's time you became husband in truth" she said reaching out to him.

Ranma was tempted; it seemed like such a nice life. No worries about being forced into marriage by crazy fathers. Not having to worry about carrying on the school and producing trainable heirs. It would be so simple just to be the beloved husband of a cute, wonderful girl, the leader of the whole tribe. To see Akane everyday and see her smile....at someone else, to see her grow large with child and give birth the Mousse's babies. No he couldn't watch that, he realized, it would be too painful and not fair to Shampoo to marry her just so that he could see Akane, if only from a distance.

"Shampoo, I will always care about you, but this is never going to happen. Please find someone else" Ranma said, kissed her on the cheek and left. Shampoo could feel tears spring to her eyes, it was almost exactly what she had said to Mousse the day that she had left him in the village to join Ranma in Nerima.

Ranma walked home with a heavy heart; everywhere he looked he swore that he saw Akane. Her with her long hair. Her with her short hair. Her in various outfits. Her smiling at him. Her yelling at him. Her dressed up a Juliet. Her in her own Chinese clothes, he loved her dressed that way. It suited her better then her normally attire. All of the versions of her were with him, in the short time that he had been here, she'd become his entire universe and he'd never realized it.

He got home and sought out his father "very well, I can't leave the dojo without an heir nor the school. I'll marry Nabiki or Kasumi as soon as you want. Heck, I'll even marry Mr. Tendo in a dress if need be" he said in a resigned tone of voice.

"I knew that you would come around boy" Genma said in approval. "Very well, the wedding date two weeks from today is a go. Would you like to invite some friends? Like the Amazons, perhaps Mousse with his lovely wife?" he gloated.

"Akane's innocent and shall be welcomed home soon" Ranma declared.

"Then we can all live together as one happy family, the Tendo's, the Saotome's and Ranma with his lovely SUBSERVIANT wife" Genma replied. He didn't like that Akane had lost her place in the house, but he wished that he'd thought about marrying his son to the sweet, submissive Kasumi ages ago. She would literally do whatever he father said and now so would his son.


	7. Chapter 7

Akane stopped by Dr. Tofu's office to discuss her plans with him. He was relieved to see her after so long and inquired extensively about what she had been up to. He was interested to find out that she had become an Amazon.

"That's a rare honour; they let few outsiders join. I've been trying to wangle a visit out of Ku Lon for a long time, they have some closely guarded medical secrets that I would love to gain knowledge of" he said and then hesitated and asked "Akane why did you lie to Ranma about your relationship with Mousse?"

"I needed him to believe that we were together, I've been forbidden to contact him" she explained.

"That isn't the truthful Akane that I know" he chided.

Akane hung her head "I know, I hope that this is all over soon so that I can tell him the truth. I miss the big, stubborn oaf" she said.

Dr. Tofu nodded "so you said on the phone that you needed my help?" he said.

Akane gave him her cutest smile and said "are you willing to do anything for my sister?"

Dr. Tofu blushed that the young girl, along with the entire neighbourhood knew him secret, except for Kasumi that is. "You know that I would" he said firmly. "I would die for her; I would walk over hot coals for her"

"Then you'll marry her?" Akane asked. Dr. Tofu's glasses started to fog up, she quickly snatched them off his noses and wiped them clean. "There's no time for tomfoolery. In little over a week's time Kasumi's going to be forced into marriage with Ranma, neither one of them wants this and only you can help prevent it" she chided.

Dr. Tofu forced himself back to reality "how is forcing her to marry me going to help her situation?" he asked.

"She loves you, she doesn't love Ranma" Akane said. His glasses started to fog up again, Akane sighed and wiped them again "stop that" she ordered.

"She told you this?" he asked, when he had worked his way out of the fog of happiness that always took him when Kasumi was around.

"It's clear as day, she doesn't make food or do favours for any other males who aren't related to us or living with us" Akane pointed out.

Dr. Tofu thought about how she acted around him, her giggles, her blushes, her tendency to do special things for him and realized that he was just as blind as her "but what if she doesn't want to marry me? It's not like we've ever been out on a date" he pointed out.

"She will because she doesn't want to marry Ranma and this way she can escape father's plans" Akane said.

"But wouldn't she worry about being disowned?" Dr. Tofu inquired.

"Father would be lost without her, if he did it would be about two days before he begged her to come back" Akane said. Now are you going to marry her, or do I have to find someone else who will?" Akane said.

Dr. Tofu was never an impulsive man, everything in his life was well thought out and planned. From what he ate for breakfast to how he invested his money. He had a house that he had bought for a song in a neighbourhood that he had predicted was turning around. He'd been right and it had tripled in value since its purchase. He lived alone in the four bedroom meant for a family he didn't have. He'd always thought that Kasumi might live there with him, with her father moving in when he turned the dojo over to its new heir. He pictured evenings spent eating dinner with them and then playing mahjong with her father when he wasn't spending time with his wife and children. He would gain not only a male companion whose company he enjoyed nuy the woman he loved. "I'll marry her if she's willing" he declared.

Akane smiled, now it was time to convince Kasumi. She invited her over to Dr. Tofu's clinic, Akane kept pinching Dr. Tofu to keep him grounded in reality when his eyes started to glaze over.

"Marry Dr. Tofu?" she repeated with a nervous gulp.

Akane pinched him harshly on the arm when hearts surrounded him "yes, it will stop father's plan dead. You only need parental consent if you're under twenty, you turned that last month and Dr. Tofu's definitely beyond that" she pointed out.

"Oh my, but it would make father angry" she protested.

"Kasumi your whole life has been spent tending to his needs; do you want your married life to be his too?" Akane asked.

Kasumi looked at the smitten doctor; she'd never realized how gentle his light brown eyes were or how handsome he looked "do you really want to marry me?" she asked.

He shook himself clear of the fog, took her hand and said "with all my heart"

"Kasumi who do you think has been sending you those expensive anonymous presents since you were sixteen?" Akane said.

Kasumi touched the diamond necklace that she'd worn under her clothes since her twentieth birthday "you?" she said, Dr. Tofu blushingly nodded. "I-I'll do it" Kasumi said, finally growing a backbone.

"Okay, the deal is this, we go to the courthouse tomorrow, register your marriage and then you have to tell father" Akane said. "I'll skip school tomorrow and meet you in front of the clinic; someone has to keep Dr. Tofu grounded while this takes place" she said indicating the semi-fogged up glasses on the young doctor. Kasumi smiled at his affectionately and took his hand, causing his glasses to fog up completely and him to begin singing a love song off key. She wasn't worried about this, if love made him crazy, that was a crazy that she could handle.

Kasumi dressed a little nicer then usual; after all it was her wedding day if only it being registered at the courthouse. "Bye father I'm going to the market" she called.

"Of course Kasumi" Soun answered.

"Didn't you just go there yesterday?" Ranma asked.

Kasumi made a guilty expression, this caused him to wonder why and then she stammered "I-I forgot to get green onions" and ran out of the house. Intrigued Ranma followed her. He wondered even more when she went into Dr. Tofu's clinic and emerged with Akane, who was leading a capering Dr. Tofu.

"What's going on here?" he asked stepping out of the shadows, he was surprised when Akane reflexively took a stance similar to Shampoo's when she was about to attack, and then relaxed when it was him.

She glared a challenge at him and said "Kasumi has the right to marry who she wants and she's chosen Dr. Tofu, I'm taking them to the courthouse to get them married and you can't stop us!"

Ranma looked dubiously at the capering doctor, he looked insane and Ranma doubted that anyone would marry them. "Let me help you" he said.

Akane stepped back in shock "then you don't want to marry Kasumi?" she asked.

Ranma looked from one girl to the other "I never have, Kasumi's a wonderful woman but she's not who I want" he said. "Seriously, you need help to get Dr. Tofu sane and I can do that. I know a few pressure points of my own, but we have to keep reapplying them as the effect only lasts for a few minutes at a time" he explained and touched a few places on the doctor's back. Dr. Tofu's glasses unfogged and he blinked his way back to reality. "Welcome back Doc, let's get you hitched" he Ranma said.

Akane gave him a hug and said "thank you Ranma" Her smile made his heart swell and he nearly told her how he felt about her and how much he liked her new wardrobe.

It was slow going there, as it was done with Dr. Tofu walking, and then dancing, which indicated the need of another application. Once they were finally there, they filled out the paperwork, while Ranma kept on touch Dr. Tofu's back at the least sign of fog. "Is your friend okay?" the registrar asked.

"Wedding day jitters" Ranma explained while he hovered behind Dr. Tofu's back like a humming bird. Akane's eyes twinkled at him when he winked at her, she practically glowed from the attention. She'd missed the friendship she had with him just as much as him.

"Congratulations you're married" the registrar announced when he handed them their certificate (A/N sorry not sure what this is called)

Dr. Tofu started dancing "you hear that Kasumi? I'm married to Betty" he said as he danced around the courthouse.

"I thought her name was Kasumi?" whispered the worried registrar.

"He calls her Betty sometimes" Akane explained and laughed when Kasumi joined him in his waltz, Kasumi was feeling just as crazy in love as him. Happily his crazy fog lifted on the way home when he registered that his new wife clung to his arm. Just before the final fog rolled out of his brain, he looked at her and said "I love you Kasumi Tendo"

She smiled back and said "I love you too, but its Kasumi Tofu now"

A smiling Ranma dropped them off at Dr. Tofu's clinic to prepare for their talk with Soun Tendo. He was in a good mood, his engagement was over, a nice couple got happily married and he was walking with Akane.

"Ranma that was a nice thing you did back there" she said.

"It was nothing" he said rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Shouldn't I take you home to your husband?" he asked, suddenly aware that he was walking with a married woman.

Akane stopped "Ranma, I have something to confess to you" she said and took a deep breath "Mousse and I were never together, he's like a brother to me" she said.

"Really?" Ranma asked. "But you said, Shampoo said" he felt like his brain was going to explode.

"I lied, I was hurt that you weren't there when I was disowned and then I promised Ku Lon that I would give you up. I thought that it was be easier if you thought that I was married to Mousse" she admitted.

"But the protection he offered?" Ranma asked.

"It just means that I had the option of taking his last name while I live with him and that I'm considered to be his sister. There's nothing going on between us, we never slept together nor have I even seen him naked" she explained.

"But Shampoo said that you sleep in his room" Ranma said, still trying to process everything.

"I do on a separate futon, the room is divided down the middle by a thick curtain and we take turns dressing and undressing while the other isn't present or can't see. If we were in the Amazon village, I would have moved into his hut or into his mother's and sister's, however he doesn't have one here so we divided his room" she said.

"Then you're single?" he asked.

She smiled at him "yes I am" she was surprised when Ranma grabbed her and kissed her in the street. "Ranma" she said with a blush.

"Akane I should have been there for you, but they threatened to disown me too and I couldn't leave because of the school. The only reason I agreed to marry Kasumi was because I thought that you were gone. I have a plan that will restore you" he declared. "Do you trust me?" he asked her.

She giggled and said "yes"

"Good, expect them to come begging for you to return home" he declared and left her with one final hug and a long kiss. Akane could only stare after him as he strode towards the dojo.

Ranma knew what he had to do now; the plan was so simple that he should have thought of it sooner. He just had to wait a few days until everything was sorted out with Dr. Tofu and Kasumi, then his plan would spring into action.

Soun glared at his eldest daughter as she clung to her new husband's arm. "You defied me" he accused.

"Father I didn't want to but you made this necessary" she implored him.

"Mr. Tendo, we didn't want to do it this way, but we are in love and you were forcing her to marrying another man" Dr. Tofu pointed out.

"You have disappointed me Kasumi, I suppose that I'll have to disown you too now" Soun said.

Kasumi's guilt and hurt turned to rage "so you'll just keep throwing daughters away until you get what you want? Akane did nothing but be kind to a friend of hers and you kicked her out. I have been your housekeeper and chef since mother died and how do you repay my kindness? You try to force me into an unwanted marriage and then try and kick me out. What do you have planned for Nabiki if she won't go along with your harebrained to marry Ranma?" she snarled. "All you do all day long is drink and play mahjong with Mr. Saotome and mettle in other people lives, it stops now father. We're your children, not pawns to be sacrificed"

Soun couldn't believe what he was hearing from the sweet, gentle Kasumi, she reminded him of the fiery beauty that had been her mother at that moment. He felt proud that she was standing up to him. "Kasumi, I can't disown you" he said starting to cry. "Please Dr. Tofu; take her to her new home. Get settled and then come back in a few days and we shall make arrangements for a real wedding"

"Father you mean it?" Kasumi asked.

"Of course, I have to see my little girl properly married" he said.

"Mr. Tendo, just so you know, you can come live with us anytime you want" Dr. Tofu said and went to help Kasumi pack.

Kasumi was surprised when Dr. Tofu took her into a guest bedroom "I thought you might want to wait until your comfortable with me before we start a physical relationship" he explained with a blush, her cheeks glowed in response. She tossed and turned for hours, but couldn't go to sleep. She went into his room. "Kasumi?" he questioned sitting up in bed.

"I've never slept in another bed before" she explained.

"Would you like to lie with me until you fall asleep?" he asked and she nodded. She blushingly slipped under the covers; she wore a practical nightgown and him a pair of flannel pajamas. Still Dr. Tofu glowed with happiness as he held his gorgeous sleeping wife in his arms for the first time.

School had gotten out early so Akane debated calling Mousse to come pick her up. She still was fuming about their conversation the night before.

Flashback

"Akane since those boys that Master Chang beat up are still harassing you, I don't want you to go anywhere alone. Please take either Shampoo or I with you wherever you go" Mousse implored her.

"Mousse my training is going well, you said so yourself. I can handle them" Akane said.

"There are five of them and one of you. Yes, your martial arts training has improved dramatically, but you are in no way as skilled as Shampoo or I. I would hesitate to take on so many myself" he said.

"I can look after myself" she cried.

"Just please do as I say. If you find yourself alone, please call one of us to come get you" he ordered.

"Oh alright" she snapped.

End Flashback

Akane picked up her phone to call Mousse, when she thought better of it. It was a nice warm day and the thought of a solitary walk in the park appealed to her. She reasoned that she would walk a few blocks and then head back to the Neko Hanten with the Amazons none the wiser. She was walking when she felt that she was being followed. She started walking faster and heard muffled laughter coming from the thicket of trees nearby. Finally she started running, when she heard a crash behind her and looked over her shoulder to see the same five guys from the restaurant pursuing her. They were a local gang of troublemakers, whose names she hadn't even gotten to know. They chased her into a fenced dead end. "Well Akane, looks like we get to have fun with you after all" the first one said with a leer. Kenji Honda, she remembered. She took a fighting stance.

"Well check out kung fu girl" he said, then yelped when she drove the flat of her hand into his nose, did a roundhouse kick to his stomach and then climbed the fence and swung over the top with her newly acquired acrobatic skills.

Kenji was groaning on the ground "my nosth, the bitch broke my nosth, get her!" he cried and the other two climbed the fence just as fast. Akane managed to hide behind a bush, she called Mousse "Mousse, it's those guys again. They're after me, I'm in the north east corner of the park near the duck pon.........." she whispered to him and then gasped when her cell phone was wrenched from her grasp and stomped into the ground. She sprang to her feet and took up another stance again, until one of them pointed a gun at her.

"Stop right there Akane" he said warningly. "I suggest that you start acting friendly unless you're bullet proof"

"Shinji, why did you bring that thing?" his friend said nervously.

"I thought she might need a little persuasion" he said. "Now we're going to rejoin our friends and you're not going to try anything funny" he said stepping closer and pressing it to her head.

Akane swallowed nervously "I promise" she said, guns scared her. They led her to a storage shed that they had the key to and made her go in.

"Well Akane, you get to party with some real men, not that limp dicked bitch you've been fooling around with. Strip that silly little uniform off" he ordered.

Akane licked her lips nervously and with trembling fingers started to undo the frogs on her shirt and prayed that the Amazons would get there in time.

Mousse was feeling panicked when he got Akane's phone call, so he dialed a number that he never thought that he would in a million years. "Ranma Akane's in trouble, meet me at..." he said when the other martial artist answered his cell. Then he and Shampoo raced to the rescue. All three martial artists convened and started to tear the park apart looking for their friend.

Akane stood trembling in her panties and bra "continue" her tormentors cried while they all leered at her shrinking form.

Mousse saw the shed up ahead and thought it the most likely place. Taking a hold of the door he wrenched it open, this startled its occupants and the gun went off.

Mousse looked down wondering why his robe was covered with red liquid; there was no pain for a second and then it hit him like a red hot sword was suddenly thrust into his chest, he gasped. His legs turned to jelly and he fell over.

Akane turned; relieved to see her friend, and then she realized that he'd been shot. Her would be rapists scattered. "Mousse" she cried and ran over to him. Shampoo ran to see what the commotion was about, she cried out to see Mousse covered with blood.

She covered his body with her own and kissed him "Airen, Mousse, I love you please don't die" she begged between kisses. Tears streamed down her cheeks unbidden.

Mousse was upset to see Shampoo looking so sad, he couldn't feel pain at the moment. "It's okay I love you too" he said and started singing their song to cheer her up. He doubted that she understood the lyrics. He'd memorized the English words since they'd first heard it, but he knew that she would recognize the tune. He hummed it all the time. He got to the first chorus when everything went black.


	8. Chapter 8

Ranma arrived on the scene and was shocked by two things, that Shampoo was crying over Mousse and saying that she loved him and also that Akane wore only pink panties and a matching bra. However he quickly sprung into action and practically tore his top off and folded it into quarters. "Put this over his wound and apply pressure to it" he instructed the teary eyed Amazon girl. A quick examination revealed the Mousse's pulse was still there, if a little slow and that he was breathing. Then he threw his cell phone at someone gawking at the scene "call for an ambulance and the police" he ordered them and picked up Akane and pulled her into the shed. Finding her clothes, he quickly redressed her and then picked her and set her on his lap as she seemed to be in shock.

"Is Mousse going to be okay?" she asked.

"It's hard to say" Ranma admitted, he seemed to be bleeding a lot.

Akane moaned "it's my fault; he told me not to go out alone and looked what happened when I did"

"I'm sure that he doesn't blame you" Ranma soothed and placed his chin on top of her head. He'd never realized how perfectly her petit body seemed to fit into his.

He watched the now composed, but still weeping Shampoo, he never thought that she would act this way over Mousse. He thought that she hated his guts! "So they're in love?" he asked Akane.

She looked teary eyed herself "they were lovers until she lost their baby after being thrown off a log by an outsider that she lost the tournament to" Akane explained. Not seeing how Ranma went pale when he realized the real reason why Mousse hated him so much. "I'm sorry Mousse" he muttered under his breath.

"What was that Ranma?" Akane asked, enjoying being held after almost being raped.

"Nothing, Akane why couldn't you clobber those guys, I've seen you take out a hundred almost every morning?" Ranma asked her.

"They just wanted dates, these guys wanted to rape me. I just wanted to get away" she explained with a sniffle and Ranma pulled her closer to him again and vowed that he would never let her go again.

The ambulance came and took away Mousse with Shampoo, who wouldn't leave his side. "I should go to" Akane said.

"I'll take you there later" the kindly policeman said "I have to take you to the station to get you to write out your statement so that we can catch these guys. Do you wish to press charges Miss?" he asked her.

"Damn right" she said with a ferocious look in her eye. Ranma stayed with her while she gave her statement and then went with her to the hospital.

Shampoo met them in the waiting room with a ferocious hug for both "he just got out of surgery, bullet hit no major organs and he be okay" she declared. "Shampoo so happy!"

Akane smiled at her friend "that's wonderful" she declared. "Can we see him?" she asked.

"They say in about half an hour when he wake up from anesthetic" Shampoo explained.

They all had a seat and then Cologne showed up to settle his insurance questions "Shampoo what was that song he was singing to you?" Akane asked.

Shampoo smiled at the memory "You Belong to Me, it first song we ever dance to" she said and explained "someone brought back CD player with CD of love songs. We put on and tried to figure out how Americans dance to songs. I had seen on TV, so I showed Mousse. It kind of stupid holding onto each other and swaying, but we both enjoyed dance" she said with a blush at the memory of her head nestled onto his shoulder while they held each other close.

"That's so sweet, you really do love him don't you?" Akane said.

"I really do" she replied.

Ranma watched this tender exchange and resolved that he would get Akane home tonight "Akane, there's something I have to do at home. I'll meet you back here" he said and left her with a soft kiss and a hug.

"Looks like I not only one in love" Shampoo teased a blushing Akane.

"You don't mind that Ranma's paying attention to me?" Akane asked.

"No I thought love Ranma, told myself better for everyone, but still love Mousse. Mousse and I would get married, but he still have to beat Ranma" Shampoo explained.

"What if you had witnesses to say that he did, like Ranma and myself?" Akane asked shrewdly.

"That might work" she said.

Ranma walked into the Tendo residence and sought out both fathers "I have to talk to you" he declared impatiently.

"We have to talk to you also" Soun said. "Nabiki said that she will marry you, but she wants a large amount of money for it. If I take out a second mortgage on the dojo we should be able to do it"

Ranma waved his hand impatiently "forget about that for now. I want you to know that it was me who slept with Akane, not Mousse. What you saw was perfectly innocent" Ranma said.

They stared at him while this sunk in "you mean to tell me that Akane doesn't have a hymen because you two slept together?" Soun asked to clarify.

"She was my fiancée; does that surprise you so much?" Ranma asked.

"So that day at the Nekohanten?" Genma said.

"She stayed up all night talking him down and then they fell asleep, that's why their clothes were rumpled. Mousse's like a brother to her, he and Shampoo are in love" Ranma explained.

"Wait this means that Akane could be pregnant? We have to get you married son" Genma said. "Soun you need to get Akane home" he declared.

"Of course she's allowed home under the circumstances, I'm so proud of you Ranma, for finally listening to us" Soun said.

"You've done the Saotome family proud for claiming your fiancée" Genma said.

"You'll marry her right?" Soun said.

"Of course I'll take her for wife" Ranma declared.

Meanwhile Back at the Hospital

"Miss, he's been move to a private room like you requested" the doctor told Shampoo.

"Can I see him?" she asked.

"Yes, but try not to tire him out, he's still pretty weak from the amount of blood he lost" he cautioned.

"Akane you mind if I see him first?" Shampoo asked.

"Of course not" she said and smiled as the Amazon woman scurried off.

"So what are you going to do now?" she asked Cologne.

Cologne frowned "fix the idiot's eyes through laser surgery when we get back to China so that he will no longer be an embarrassment to my great-granddaughter and get them married, if she wants that young oaf then I'm not going to interfere anymore. I've meddled enough in my time. We're going to leave as soon as Mousse can travel; we've been away from our tribe for long enough. How about you Akane? You're welcome to come with us, a year training with the other warriors would make you virtually undefeatable" she suggested.

Akane wasn't sure where she could go, Kuno and Ukyou had both offered her places to stay, but she wasn't sure she should. With her and Ranma together now, there was bound to be jealous on Ukyou's part and she doubted that Kuno would remember to take his meds and would start to pursue her again. "I'm not sure where to go" she said.

"Well before you decide, I want to understand that being an Amazon isn't all about gorgeous people and martial arts. You would live rough and have trouble with the language; schooling is a part of belonging to the village, so you would continue your education. It's also about making hard decisions for your family, like I had to make when I decided to abort my own great-great-grandchild" Cologne admitted to Akane.

"You caused Shampoo to miscarry, but why?" Akane said in shock.

"There's nothing wrong with anyone else's vision in Mousse's family, but then again his sisters had a different father. His was a Caucasian tourist who his mother rescued from a wild boar attack; he only stayed long enough to impregnate her. When Mousse's eyes started to deteriorate he was misdiagnosed as having a genetic eye disorder by his first optometrist, it was only this year that it was discovered that his eye problems were due to his being born premature. I couldn't take the chance that his daughter might inherit his vision problemd. We are the ruling clan and can't afford to have such defects in a future leader, she would have been challenged for her right to rule and then we would have lost ascendancy. I couldn't let that happens, so I slipped some herbs into Shampoo's food to make her miscarry and get sleepy at the same time. I was fortunate that Ranma showed up when she did and made her social blunder. So I murdered my own great-great-grandchild unnecessarily. So before you decide to come with us, ask yourself if you could do whatever it takes to protect your family and position" Cologne said. Akane could only think about that.

Shampoo held Mousse's hand while he slept; he always looked so innocent when he did. His hair was pooling at his neck so she tenderly brushed it back. He frowned in his sleep and said "Shampoo?"

"I'm here Airen" she said, she pressing his hand to her cheek and he cupped it softly.

"You're crying" he said. "Did I do something to upset you?" he asked.

"No I'm crying with happiness that you're still alive" she said. "I don't want to lose you again" she said.

"I'm hard to get rid of" he said.

"Looks like I'm going to have to marry you to keep you out of trouble" she observed.

"I'd like that" he said, his own tears starting to flow. She leaned down and kissed him. Despite that he'd just gotten out of surgery, they made love with her removing her pants and him forbidden to move a muscle. It was awkward and rather daring, but they both needed the intimacy.

When Akane and the nurse walked in, they were both fast sleep clinging together. The nurse opened her mouth to protest, but Akane just pulled her away and smilingly shut the door after them.

Akane was surprised when Ranma showed up with Genma and her father. "Daddy?" she asked.

"Akane, you naughty girl, why didn't you just tell me that it was Ranma that you had sex with and not Mousse? It killed me to have to disown you" her smiling father said.

"Yes my son is a chip off the old block when it comes to women" Genma declared.

Akane could only let what they were suggesting pierce her surprised brain. "Huh?" she said.

"You know, you and Ranma made love. Ranma told us everything. I would have preferred that you waited until after the wedding, but still these things happen when you're young and in love. Now you can have a double wedding with Ranma, Kasumi and Dr. Tofu and come back home" Soun said.

Akane looked at Ranma "so you thought that a lie would help?" she asked.

"I had to tell them the truth" Ranma said, his eyes begging for her to go along with it.

Akane looked at her father and Mr. Saotome and saw them for what they were, shallow ridiculous men with too much time on their hands and nothing to do. Even Happosai had a hobby even if it was being a lecher. "So you believe Ranma and not me?" she questioned. "It's not true, I've never slept with Ranma or anyone; I'm a virgin" she declared.

Ranma looked at her sheepishly while Soun said "I can understand you not wanting to talk about it for modesty sake, but it's okay to admit it in this case. You are fully restored to being a Tendo and Ranma's fiancée" he declared.

Akane felt such rage that she crossed her arms and said "you people are unbelievable. I'm not coming home just yet; I intend to follow my fellow Amazons back to China to complete my martial arts training. I shall return a year from now and then I shall decide if I'm prepared to forgive you for how I suffered. Until I leave, I don't want to see either of you" she said indicating to her father and Mr. Saotome. "As for you Ranma, well good bye" she said and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Akane?" Ranma said and then led the protesting fathers out.

"So you've made your decision?" Cologne said.

"Sometimes families are a reason to leave" Akane replied.

Mousse healed fast and moved into Shampoo's room when he got back from the hospital. Akane knew that it was almost time to leave when she caught them making love when she forgot to knock one morning. Akane saw plenty of her sisters until she left now that she was no longer disowned, but nothing of Soun or Genma. Most of her friends apologized about their lack of support during her dark days and Ranma sent her a bouquet of flowers, but kept his distance. On the day she left the airport was crowded with people to see her off.

Six months later Akane Mu smiled confidently as she faced her opponent on the other end of the log, she could see right away that her balance was off and she held her chui incorrectly. Akane charged forward and sent her flying with a few well placed blows, making her the champion of her division. All of her other Amazons cheered for the popular girl and then she turned in surprise when she heard someone say in Japanese "I always knew you could do it 'Kane" her heart leapt to see Ranma there.

"Ranma!" Shampoo called and hugged him, not glomping as she used to. Ranma could only stare at her swelling belly. Mousse was behind her and shook hands with Ranma, genuinely pleased to see the other boy.

"So I guess you two got married, congratulations" he said, glad for the couple.

"Yes the day after the council got the statement from you saying that I kicked your can, thanks for that" Mousse replied.

"It was the least that I could do" Ranma said. "But how did you defeat Shampoo?"

"I was already pregnant when got back, no need for defeat. We just marry" she explained and touched her belly and smiled tenderly at her husband. "Ranma join us for festival?" she suggested.

Ranma smiled at Akane and said "I would love to" He enjoyed hanging out with his friends that evening, but couldn't take his eyes off Akane nor her off of him. She flashed a hand signal towards Ranma, which caused Mousse to blush when he recognized it.

"I think we should stay at my mother's tonight and let Akane use our place" he whispered to his wife.

Shampoo had caught the signal too and whispered to Ranma "press your three fingers together and link your thumbs and little fingers together"

"Like this?" he asked and then noticed a smirk pass between them and they excused themselves.

"So where have you been living?" he asked Akane, not aware that he'd just accepted to be her concubine.

"In Mousse's mother's hut with his sisters, they're all real nice and have been kind to me" Akane said.

"Are you disappointed I came?" he asked.

"No, I was hoping you would" Akane said and suggested that they go somewhere more private.

Ranma got a little nervous when she led him into a hut." Are you sure that we should be alone together like this?" he asked.

Akane sat on his lap and said "positive"

"Akane?" Ranma said with a blush.

"Ranma I've waited my entire life to make to the man I love, so don't fail me now" she said and kissed him like a woman starving. Ranma was a little awkward at first, but picked it up fast just like he did anything else he wished to learn.

"I love you too" he gasped when he came. Afterwards, he lay in her arms and felt like he was home. "So you're here for six more months, mind if I keep you company?" he asked.

"I'd be insulted if you didn't" she retorted. "We're going to need a hut of our own though, fortunately they grant them to Amazon women and their concubines" she said looking at him mischievously.

"So I'm your concubine now?" he asked.

"Only until I return to Nerima and take your last name. I don't have to live here to be an Amazon" she explained.

"Then you want to marry me. Don't I have to defeat you first?" he asked.

She turned on her side, so that her beautiful naked body was revealed to him "you did that the minute I met you" she said and they made love again.

Ranma pulled out his pack afterwards and delivered the package that the huge Amazon woman had asked him to take to Akane. "The largest woman I ever seen asked me to give this to you" he explained.

Akane opened it to find a jar that contained what seemed to be five oval animal organs of some sort. Ranma cringed in horror when he realized what they were and then Akane so did when he explained to her what they were. She read the note:

Dear Akane,

If a man tries to violate an Amazon woman, he must be made an example of. Men have two balls and need only one to reproduce. Here is what I harvested from each of your would-be rapists, they weren't too happy about it. These are what got them into trouble in the first place, let the punishment fit the crime as they say. They won't be bothering another girl again or I said I would be back for the second.

Yours,

Master Chang

FIN, Complete, That's all she wrote

Thanks for reading!

Sid


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